Mass Effect: Golden World
by lazysleep
Summary: A Quarian on his pilgrimage finds himself under the care of a Turian Spectre, the two on a mission to discover a reported lost Prothean 'Golden' world. With an unknown force showing their hands and lust for the Quarian, The Spectre most do everything he can to keep the Quarian and the galaxy safe. Even if it means breaking a promise to a dead friend.
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

 **I had an old Mass Effect story on here. That's dead.**

 **This is it's new form.**

 **I wrote this because I personally believe the Mass Effect Verse is an amazing well written one with unique races and settings. I would love for it to have tons more novels, comics and anime to explore more of the verse and tell stories not linked to Shepherd or any of the main crew. But sadly that isn't the case lol.**

 **Some characters will be shown, some only referenced.**

 **I'm trying to keep this as lore friendly as possible.**

 **I'm working on this while i try to figure out what to do with my writing, to get my own voice and to practice till I'm better. '**

 **I hope to be updating at least once a month.**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter, if you do or don't leave a comment. I want to hear on how I can improve.**

* * *

Val'Tasi vas Rayya tried to remain inconspicuous but being a Quarian already made that difficult and his pacing only caused him to stand out more.

The river of flowing bipedal species passing him by with stares, most with two eyes but some with four, caused more of his nerves to fry. Bring up his omni-tool he checked the time, galactic standard. 19:00. One more hour before the next day. Two hours later than planned radio contact.

Technically it was night time, but night was never here for the citadel. It was constantly abuzz with the hum of electronics and the murmurs of individuals that blended into a roaring mess of thousands upon thousands of conversations. The footsteps of millions of people all different heights, weight, walking patterns, but all not in suits.

He wasn't entirely use to all the openness of the citadel or anything that wasn't the fleet either, though if he wasn't now he doubted he'd ever adjust to it. He could never wave off the uneasiness it caused to crawl through him like a virus.

His three digits instinctively went to his right hip, hoping to find comfort in one of the few things worth trusting in this galaxy, but only touched air. Standard procedure for fire arms to be turned in or left on ships.

He felt more eyes take curious glances at him from those rushing by, Quarians were a rare sight ever since they were kicked off the council. The store owners though bore in at him, he could see the suspicion and disgust in their eyes. Wondering if the suited being would try to make a pass at one of their stores.

A Turian store keep seemed to be more than just cautious of him, openly cursing at him earlier, telling him to fuck off from his stand and to think twice before trying to steal anything. That was two hours ago. He had been standing near his shop for five minutes, looking up at all the hologram ads that played. Genuinely interested in all the new clothes and foods shown, though he'd never be able to enjoy any displayed.

Even after he went to the other side of podium he still stared daggers. The Quarian let out a sigh of frustration and once more tried to make contact.

"Julipius. Come in, Julipius. It's been two hours. Are you alright? Trying not to bring attention to myself like you said, but that's not working so well. And you are nedas. I'm surprised C-sec hasn't been called yet…" He trailed off as human and salarian in blue and black armor strolled up to him.

The human carrying an Elanus Striker pistol while the Salarian held an STG manufactured assault riffle.

The human was brown in skin tone while his partner was a dull orange, he much more lanky and taller than the human with only one horn. The Quarian found how they walked around without helmets on a tad odd, even if he knew their immune system wasn't as fragile as his own.

"Uh. Hello there."

"We've got complaints of a Quarian trying to steal some loose credits and harassing stores for scrap." The human spoke as he got within arm's reach. "Name, Quarian."

Of course. He thought to himself, passing a glance at the Turian who seemed to be enjoying the show.

"Val'Tasi Vas Rayya. I'm just waiting for my friend to arrive."

"We don't care about you or your friend." The salarian spoke this time. As the human typed the name into his omni-tool.

"Yeah he checked in earlier at docking, so he didn't get smuggled on." The human said.

"Get going before we take you to lock up." The salarian's voice was a higher pitch than the human's but still just as stern.

Before Val could speak he felt a hand on his shoulder, three talon like appendages. "You guys already gave him the run around as soon as we came in, he was just waiting for me." A familiar voice said.

"Yeah and who the hell are you?" The human asked, his hand grabbing his pistol. The Salarian on the other hands eyes seemed to widen a bit. Recognizing the Turian before them.

With a wave of a hand his omni-tool appeared, show casing his ID and status at the Citadel.

"Spectre. Julipius Papgatus."

The human seemed to go white at the title of Spector being used, immediately taking his hand off the butt of his gun.

A moment later and the C-sec officers mumbled an apology and walked away, not trying to commit career suicide and start a dispute with a Spectre.

The shopkeeper yelled at them to do their job and get the beggar off the street, but he mostly was ignored and told to keep the shouting down.

As the two C-sec members disappeared in the crowd, Julipius nodded for Val to follow him.

Pushing past the sea of people and going around the store fronts. The Turian lead Val through some alleyways, making turns left and right, heading down slowly through back exits and forgotten paths, taking the slow path instead of taking the travel shuttles or elevators to the lower wards, they shuffled along like this for about an hour, mostly in silence.

This section was rarely used by residents, filled with red ambient light and boxes of all shapes and sizes thrown about. It looked like a Wearhouse.

The Turian took a seat on a create, his black armor creaking a bit. Although rarely walked through, the area they were in was hardly abandoned.

Keepers shuffled back and forth, green insect like beings with a hard exoskeleton and four legs sticking out in each direction, cold black eyes, with boney arms and some type of backpack on. A mute species that constantly worked on the citadel, killing itself if captured or probed, roughly at half Val's own height.

Val was fascinated by the silent workers, ever since he first set foot on the citadel, even now his eyes followed them as they scuttled about while Julipius started to speak.

"Sorry about the wait, but you were right." He tossed a Val a small burlap sack. Fishing out the item inside, he pulled out a rectangular metal object, smooth, reflective and curved at the bottom. Just about palm size, Val scrutinized the featureless object, turning it this way and that, as Julipius went on.

"It was in the shop like you said it would be, the old Asari was straight forward, just wanted her credits. She didn't know what it was. Thought it was some puzzle."

He paused. "In a way, guess she wasn't wrong."

"It's more like a piece of a puzzle than one itself, but still." Val explain still shifting the object between hands. Before starting a scan with his Omni-Tool.

Julipius continued his story.

"I was about to leave when her store gets torn to shreds, a hail of bullets destroying everything, I hop over the counter as my shield takes a few. Same as the Asari. The onslaught of bullets stops and next thing I know a Korgan kicks what's rest of the door down, bout four gunmen right behind him. All in mixed match gear, same tattoo on their faces. Mercenaries. The Korgan, the boss, orders them to make sure everyone's dead. "

Val nods, not looking up, having expected something like this to occur.

"This why I warned you. I told you, someone was monitoring our coms, bring back up." Val trialed off and his Omni-Tool shook over a specific spot on the device.

Julipius shrugged.

"I didn't need it." He said as a wave of dark matter shifted around him, a faint gassy blue glow swirling around him. his hands where it was almost like a blue flame flowing freely, it's ambers skyward before dying shortly after. "Sloppy armatures, really."

"Two were torn down just as they entered." He continued, no longer creating the tiny mass effect fields.

"The old Asari popped back up with a shotgun as one of the mercs moved towards our location, used my biotics to pull him towards her. His shield couldn't take that much power up close. Bits of Salarian brain went everywhere, green paint all over the walls."

The Turian's spoke in his flagging voice. "I got off three shots at another, all square in the chest. She crumpled to the floor like a bag of rocks. Before we could get cut down other ones, they actually realized what was happening and dove for whatever cover they could get." Julipius finished taking out his pistol and flexing another wave of dark energy, fondly remembering the fight.

Having dropped the Asari merc, Julipius ducked back down behind the counter as the Korgan and the rest of his squad, released another wave of automatic fire. Objects shattered, as some projectiles ricocheted of the metal walls destroying them.

Glass crunched underfoot as the enemies took the opportunity to take cover of their own. The Korgan, was furthest back, still outside using the doorway to shield himself, constantly letting off burst of gunfire, letting one of his men edge towards them. As the other, a human, was hiding behind a turned over table taking pot shots at them.

The Asari shop owner, was a few meters to his right, a Thessia manufactured shotgun on her lap, back against the counter. She looked at the Spector, making eye contact. He saw her eyes were calm and steady, but in them he saw an eagerness like a child at a playground.

Julipius wondered if she had military experience and his answer came when one merc's rifle popped over the counter directly over her head, Julipius was trying to align a shot when she used her shot gun to push upwards, causing the assailant's gunfire to run along the floor and up the wall. Before the soldier-for-hire could react she, let off two consecutive shots into him, kicking him into the air and crashing to the floor.

All that in one calm second, a movement so fluid it looked instinctive to her.

"Fucking hell!" The young Korgan growled, angered at the slaughter of his men, he let out emptied his clip blindly.

Julipius used the pause of gunfire to act, popping around the counter corner, he let off a biotic push, throwing the last armored member into the wall and the table he used for cover crashed into him almost right after, leaving his upper body exposed and his gun thrown across the room. The Turian emptied his pistol into him and in a flash had a new thermal clip in.

"Just the Korgan left." The Asari finally spoke, "I'm going to cut his testicles off for ruining my shop."

"No way. I want to be the one to drop him. Besides- ".

Julipius was cut off as the Korgan let out a deep roar, cursing the Turian. "I'm gonna rip those spikes off your damn head!" The raging Korgan tossed his gun aside and started charging straight ahead.

The Asari fired her shotgun, but that did little to stop blood lusted beast, Julipius couldn't get a shot before it smashed through the counter, lowering his plated head as he burst through, chunks of wood splintered into the air.

The Korgan didn't slow and ran full force into Julipius, casting him off his feet and on to the Korgan's shoulder and a couple of steps more he slammed Julipius into the wall, causing him losing the grip on his pistol and it fell to the floor with a clank.

The Korgan wrapped one of his giant hands around the Turian's throat squeezing, effortlessly picking him off the ground. Although young he was massive even for his own species.

Julipius could feel his hard-warm breath against his face.

The Korgan merc snarled, his thin lips revealing teeth like that of humans. The Korgan's thick brown plates were covered in yellow and green marks, his scaly face was dressed in scars, solid red wide-set eyes filled with rage. Even though they were prey like in nature, they showed their desire to kill like any predator species.

Filling his hand with dark energy, Julipius slammed it down on the Korgan's arm, it felt like hitting a wet bag of cement, but did nothing to lessen the grip on his wind pipe.

The blow was powerful, but the reptilian alien's blood rage made him ignore all pain and damage.

Clawing at the hand chocking him, Julipius vision started to blur as another shotgun blast from the Asari rang out, this time close enough to go through his shields, before she ejected the thermal clip.

Yellow fluid sprayed Julipius as it gushed out of the Korgan. It screamed a curse at the Asari as it's head cocked to the side from the blow. His steel grip on Julipius' throat loosen, and it's focus no longer on him.

Seeing the limited time frame of the opportunity, seconds at most, Julipius immediately went to the combat blade on his hip, bringing it up and down to the hilt on the Korgan's arm.

More of the Korgan's blood pooled out as they blade went clean through, with a grunt Julipius brought the knife towards him, bisecting the merc's forearm to wrist, slicing through his dense muscle. It's arm gave out and the Korgan dropped Julipius who fell to the floor and reached for his pistole while the Asari finished loading in a thermal clip.

The Korgan, in a last ditched effort to kill the Turian, used his Omni-tool to form a blade on it's good arm, the orange holograph turning harder than diamond, and swung at Julipius.

As Korgan's blade came at him, Julipius aimed upwards at the Korgan, who was letting off a battle cry, the tip off his blade centimeters from piercing the Turian's throat.

The Turian and the Asari simultaneously begun firing, emptying their clips into the blood raged being, causing his body to jerk as each round of ammunition tore through him like paper, turning him into bloody lump of mass filled with holes.

With the last threat dead, The Turian relaxed a bit as rough bunch of coughs escaped him, rubbing his bruised throat, he let shoulders slump a bit. "That's the last time I walk into a trap." He said a bit tired, from his adrenaline shutting down and the use of biotics in combat.

He saw a gloved hand reach out to him and he took it, appreciating the help up.

"This is the last time you step foot into my store."

The Asari spoke surveying her property, bodies were slumped on counters and overturn desks, their blood pooling across the floor. Broken glass, shards of wood, thermal clips, torn pages on the ground and still slowly falling while numerous other pieces of the oddities she sold littered the ground.

"Mostly because I don't have one left." She grumbled, resting her shotgun over her shoulder.

Julipius watched as she kicked a corpse, letting out a frustrated sigh. She looked like a typical Asari, beautiful and wise, she dressed in standard civi clothes of her people. The only noticeable thing about her was she was the rare teal shade instead of the standard purple or blue.

"Thanks for your help. Julipius Papgatus." He said extending a hand, she looked at him, but waved him off.

"Asishin T'doria. Formerly of Asishin's emporium." She said in dry humor. "And don't mention it. It's not like I had much choice. They just started shooting. Guessing it had to do with you." She stated, pushing a merc's corpse off a desk and setting it up right, using it as a seat, facing him.

"You wanted?" Asishin asked, raising her shotgun at Julipius.

"No more than any other Spector." He replied unfazed by the weapon pointed at him.

She let a swear and put the shotgun down next to her, spitting on the corpse she moved.

"You were calm out there. Good in combat. No panic."

"When you live to be 844, you experience a few things, learn how to deal with idiots and guns."

"You're that old huh. A matriarch. Wouldn't have guessed."

She gave shrug.

"But handling an ambush like that isn't just from being alive long. Training in combat but no biotics used, so you can't be Asari Ex-military."

Asishin looked unamused with Julipius' deductions. "Yeah. Ex-Mercenary. Might not have ever been enlisted, but I've killed more huntresses than you'd ever seen, Spectre."

"Doubtful." Julipius paused, choosing his next words. "Why come to the citadel?"

Annoyed Asishin didn't answer his question, instead chastised him and sked one of her own,

"Cut to your point already, you called this an ambush. Meaning you knew they were going to be here. Could have done this somewhere else were all my mementos wouldn't have been shot to hell." She dropped her teal face into her gloved hands, letting out a muffled scream. Once she got her composure, she turned her attention to the Turian, still standing there.

"This had to do with the little metal puzzle I sold you?"

The Turian nodded.

"Fun. Got my store ruined for 10,000 credits. Can't even fix the windows for that much. Had it for 200 years, thinking it was some dumb game. Apparently, it's worth a gun fight in the Citadel. "

The Turian fished it out of his pocket and turned it over in his hand. "You know what's in this?"

"No and I don't care. Couldn't open it up 600 years ago, sold it and somehow in the vast galaxy it comes back to me. I think it's the most amazing thing and buy it back. But even with more wisdom and experience still couldn't open it so I let it rust. Then someone tracks it down and I lose my store."

"That would be my Quarian friend."

"Just go okay." Asishin said as C-sec patrols finally arrived. Their flashing lights filled the ruined room.

"Wait here." Julipius said, stepping out to talk to the Turian's officers.

A moment later the flashing lights went off and C-sec stood idly by.

Perks of being a Spectre. Asishin figured.

She was upset over losing her store, she didn't have insurance and not nearly enough credits to repair the store. The objects that were destroyed is what pissed her off the most, although not worth much in value the items were priceless to her though, majority of them were things she gathered and collected during her long-life span. Mostly from her younger days adventuring through the galaxy.

She wondered if all this meant having to go back to Thessia, no longer having an income and being a matriarch on the citadel held no weight like it did on her home planet.

But it's been over 100 years since she was even in Asari space, she couldn't help but think her status would hold no weight over there either. Another frustrated sigh escaped her.

She wondered if she could go back to being a gun for hire.

Although now past that age for it to be considered normal in her species, those were her happiest moments in life. Traveling around the galaxy, fending off raiders, capturing criminals. The adventure of it all and the blood pumping action made her feel so alive.

She didn't get to think about it more about it before her Omni-tool went off, vibrating. Opening it Asishin saw a transaction of 3 million credits to her account. She stared at the screen stunned. Footsteps approach she looked and up she saw the Turian Spectre standing over her.

"500,000 for the damages." He said calmly.

"The rest?" Asishin asked.

"That Quarian friend of mine, he has a real knack of finding trouble on his pilgrimage."

Asishin. Nodded, understanding. "You want to hire me? It's been Centuries since I've been a mercenary."

"You didn't seem rusty to me, that's all that matters. I need someone who can hold their own in a fight, someone who also couldn't be working with the people out to get us."

She mused over the options, she had enough to fix her store, but she couldn't deny that despite being a matriarch she felt like a maiden, still wanting to see so much of the galaxy. Something other Asaris never understood, wanting her to be a community sage. To stick to their home planet.

She took long enough to think about that the Turian asked again.

Standing up, slinging her shot gun over her shoulder, she smoothed out her shirt. She stuck out her hand. "I'm going to need some time to get my gear"

The Turian. "We need to be gone by 3:00."

"I can manage, you have a ship?"

"Yes. Nothing fancy or big. But meet me here." He typed something into his omni-tool and sent her the location.

She looked at it and nodded. "Yeah. Okay. I'll be there."

With that she turned around and took a step before stopping.

Lowering her voice, she asked the question Julipius was expecting.

"What's in the box?"

"The Quarian think's it holds a map of a lost promethean world."

He saw her ace morph into one of awe. The same reaction he original had when the young Quarian told him his theory.

"And he has a way of opening it."

Val looked up from the rectangular object. "You told her that? Thought we weren't supposed to tell people that?" His eyes came off as glowing orbs through his helmet's orange visor. The light around the mouth piece glowed white when ever he spoke.

"You don't tell people that ever. I can."

"Oh, whatever. So we're waiting for the Asari? IS that wise, shouldn't we leave as fast as possible if that's what they were willing to do in the middle of the Citadel." Although he was talking about leaving now, his eyes were back down to the object, standing still.

"We are. This is where I told the Asari to meet us. Once she's here, we go to docking and leave."

"Right. Right."

"How long do you think it will take to unlock."

"Not sure. If I'm correct it shouldn't be too long. The Salrian researcher who hired me was working on translating the VI's system before he was…" The Quarian trailed off…wounds still fresh from the ill memories.

"But the VI was basically destroyed after the human spoke to it on Ilos. "The Turian finished.

"Yeah…That dead human." Val said softly, questioning if he could do what his former mentor couldn't do. But he had to or his death and work would have been meaningless.

He stopped speaking as he heard footsteps, though Julipius didn't bother getting up.

A second later Asishin popped from around a corner, donned in Asari combat armor, design for the guerilla and sabotage actions the council race was known excelling at. Though her's seemed to be customized, solid deep crimson with accents a pastel yellow. Val thought it was rather pleasing to look at.

She carried a duffle bag with her, when Julipius looked at it she stated it was filled with stuff she'd need to survive on ship for so long.

"So we headed out?"

With another hour they were on Julipius' personal ship. No bigger than a common smuggler's vessel, it had ample room for the three and the few staff needed to run it smoothly. Short corridors separated the majority of the rooms. The captain's, Julipius', were on the only upper floor, the only thing making up the second level.

That's where the three we're at now.

Asishin too notice of how simple and straight forward the décor of his room was. A small bed just big enough for him to sleep in, tucked and neat just like everything else in there. He had Quantum Entanglement Communication or QEC, an almost instantaneous communication devices that projects the individuals as holograms. It was in the corner next to his extranet device.

A place for his armor and weapons were about the only decorative and personal things she could see.

She figured it was beaten into him from his time in the military service. All Turian's worked for the state at some point in their life, their species as a whole lives to do public services. A cultural thing based on putting society as whole over the needs of an individual. She didn't see him as the office type.

He had given her the only chair in the room, she knew this was because Asari's looked feminine to the other species as whole, despite them having only one gender. The young Quarian he let sit on the foot of the bed while he stood.

He had stripped his Spectre armor once they docked, now in Turian style short sleeve and pants, she saw his angular frame, and enjoyed the view. His metallic carapace was lighter than most, his colonial face tattoos were a deep red, a strict contrast with the green pupils visible from the dark hollows of their eyes. She had always enjoyed the unique characteristic of their voice, this time was no different as Julipius addressed them.

Arms crossed , Julipius was running them through the details, he was meticulous man. Its what allowed him to be the top of his squad, what made him eligible to be a Spectre but most importantly, it was what kept him alive throughout his years and what would keep them from getting a bullet through their heads.

"Someone's been tracking us for a while, specifically you though Val. The Salarian died on Illos and someone sent mercs to kill you. You're hunch was right about them tracking us through our comms, our ploy of you going alone seemed to have worked. But I don't think they want you dead."

"Them showing up to gun down my store is strong counter-argument." Asishin interrupted, but before she could argue some more Val blurted out an apology to the Asari who gave off a chuckle.

"It's fine kid, it's not the end of the galaxy and this seems more interesting than watching them repair it anyway."

"I'm on my pilgrimage. I'm not a kid." Val said annoyed.

Julipius snapped his talons. "She's a matriarch, everyone is a kid to her. Now back on topic."

Val straighten up and turned his focus back on the Turian. "Yes, Captain." Asishin heard the admiration in the Quarrian's voice.

She just crossed her legs and signaled for him to continue.

"The key word there was _seemed_ to have worked. But compared to the Blue Sun members on you when we first met up, these guys were jokes. Sloppy, no real training. The tattoo makers on them weren't even in any council databanks. Newbies."

He paused and eyes flicked between the two in front of him. The Asari only seemed mildly interested in the details while Val seemed to be lost in thought, he could see gears turning in the Quarrian's mind.

"I left you out in the open on the Citadel for hours. Nobody showed to grab you or kill you."

"Oh guess we both were bait." Asishin spoke again.

Julipius knew what all this meant and considering he was great friends with the Salarian that took the Quarian as an apprentice, he knew more than he had shared with Val.

From the Asari's eyes studying Val, Julipius understood she got it as well and knew he was testing the Quarian. Seeing if he could fit all the pieces of the puzzle together.

"They want me to open the box and find out where the map leads to. But why didn't they just try to grab me when I was out in the open make me do it for them?"

Julipius knew the answer to that question.

As Spectre he knew all kinds of torture techniques, he could make Vocha beg for death and had before. He knew which way to stick a knife in to rip off a Korgan's head-plate, what bones to break in a human to deliver the most pain without them passing out. How to tear off a Turian's face carapace and have them live through it. Interrogating Quarian was much more difficult, a lot more time consuming, a lot more risk of losing a the target before you get what you needed.

He learned all that from a trial an error experience.

He knew they couldn't torture Val for the information because he didn't have it yet. They couldn't torture him to make him figure it out more quickly or risk him dying and losing it all if something went wrong.

With a Spectre watching over the Quarian, they wouldn't have the time allotted before he'd track them down, either kill them all or kill Val if that's what would keep the galaxy safe.

Julipius' eyes rested on the Quarian. Naïve, hopeful, eager to help and incredibly bright, Val despite all that he had seen and went through was still ignorant to how twisted and veil the Galaxy was outside the flotilla. He had taken a liking to the Quarian. But it was his duty to keep the galaxy safe and as the human expression goes, if push comes to shove, he would do what was necessary.

"Because you'd die during the torture."

He said stoic. Val's expression behind the helmet didn't change. He let out a quiet acknowledgement, but that was all.

A moment of silence fell between them.

"I had the ship swept for bugs and our communication scanned. We should be clean for now. But keep your mouths shut." Julipius finished.

"Now get out and sleep. We will be arriving at 09:00 galactic time." He barked, opening his door and waving them out.

With the two now on the other side of the door, the Asishin turned to ask one final question of the day.

"Where are we headed anyway."

It was the Quarian who answered, rather somberly. "Ilos."


	2. Illos

_**Author's notes. Tell me what you guys and gals think, tell me what part of my wiriting needs work or what you perticulary liked. All of it helps, makes me motivated to pump these out faster.**_

* * *

 **Three Weeks Earlier.**

Dr. Onik Varol had contacted Julipius asking him to come to his site, saying it was an important Prothean discovery the council would need to know about. If he was aware of the dangers immediate to them Julipius could only guess. But a retired STG with the intelligence of Varol, he doubted the attack caught him by complete surprise.

Flying towards Illos he had his pilot, an older male, try to contact the Alliance's ships orbiting the planet.

It was met with silence.

"Captain," a deep gravel voice spoke through the ships coms as Julipius finished putting on his armor and headed towards the cockpit. "The Human Alliance seems to not be receiving our transmissions. Or the distress signal."

The doors to where Karos Fan'donrek, his pilot, was station parted with a whoosh as Julipius entered. Spinning around in his chair Karos tilted his head to the left. Julipius repeated the action, before speaking. "Play the distress signal."

"On it." He swung back around and within a second a video popped up.

A blue Salarian was speaking as screams and gunfire erupted. "Can anyone hear us? We are under attack what little guards we have are gone. We need help. "

The video cut off as an armored Turian appeared behind the Salarian, taking aim.

"That's the end of it," Karos said, his razor-sharp teeth showing with each flap of his gums.

Julipius suppressed the anger and concern that shot through him. He needed to distance himself from emotions. He was heading down to a slaughter, off cold-blooded killers. His head needed to be clear and focus not clouded or he'd make a fatal mistake.

"Orders?" Karos asked his sunken black eyes staring at him, his triangular like slits of a nose flaring.

"Have one of the engineers watch the ship. Get in gear, we're taking a shuttle."

They were on the ground in twenty minutes.

* * *

Varol had given specific coordinates to land at when he first asked for Julipius to come, fear of some villain in the shadows. His paranoia was right.

Julipius saw the black smoke and leaping flames before what was left of the campsite. Makeshift homes and other structures set ablaze and fell into themselves, sheets of metal melted, and poles of steel glowed a fiery red as they scattered the ignited carnage. He could just barely make out movements, but unable to determine if they were friend or foe. He assumed the ladder.

Landing about half a mile away from the research site, in a small clearing filled with ruins of the builders of the Mass Relays. Giant trees engulfed them, their roots that breached the surface were taller than the Turian and he couldn't see where the trees ended from the ground. He figured that's what happens when 50'000 years past without someone to chop them down.

The sky was a rusted color, giving everything a ghastly orange hue to it.

From the shuttles pilot seat, Karos spoke. "He's not here. What now?"

Stepping out of the black painted shuttle, he answered. "I'll track him down. Get answers."

"My orders?" Karos asked, his face hidden beneath his visor-less helmet. Julipius knew the pilot wanted to go help any survivors in need. Something the Turian himself wanted to do but couldn't risk failing his own mission. "Go ahead. Be on guard. Doubt their wearing matching armor, make sure you let the scientist or Alliance know you're friendly."

"If they ever show up that is."

Karos turned the shuttle off and got out. He headed quickly towards the black smoke still flowing to the sky, leaving the Spectre to investigate on his own.

The way he preferred.

Julipius slowly and carefully circled the area, despite the carnage only half a mile away this area was imperturbable, in a way much like himself. A stark contrast to his eagerly angered friend.

"You think they're here for the VI?" Karos asked through the coms, he heard a burst of gunfire through the radio and the distance.

Stepping around carefully with his Phaeston and using his biotics he jumped on top of a destroyed structure, Prothean in build, years of abandonment had caused it to decay and break down, becoming covered in the local flora. Reaching the top, he had a better vantage point. Scanning the area looking for anything to tell him where to head.

"That doesn't explain the attack on the research base. It's out of the way of the VI. Seems to me like they wanted someone or something first."

"Your Salarian friend?" Karos asked through more gunfire.

"Maybe." That's when he first saw the bodies. Two heavily armed figures, bodies limp on the floor. Jumping down and using his biotics to slow his fall, he landed safely near them.

Stripping one's helmet off, he saw two pairs of sunken eyes, one right above the other, the top pair were closer and smaller, more angled. Solid black in color. What Julipius could only describe as two rolls of flesh, stemmed from the symmetric nose and ran down framing their chins and mouths.

A Batarian, like Karos.

Both corpses lacked any tattoos associating it with any major guns for hire.

Any half decent soldier of fortune would acid burn the proof of loyalty before taking on a mission like this.

Tossing the helmet back to the ground, he let out a swear.

It was then he saw movement. A third body, slowly crawling towards the ruins.

Julipius slowly walked up to him, slapping his assault rifle to his hip and retrieving his pistole.

He saw the deep crimson stain the plants, as he got close to the unaware Batarian.

"Fucking Salarian, when I get out of here I'm going to rip his eyes out."

Julipius stomped on his head, watching it slam to the ground and bounce back up. Another kick to the side, causing the Batarian to scream and turn on his back to face his assailant.

"Who the fuck are you!" He barked. Julipius saw the wound to the chest, even now the blood was pooling from it. He shot him in the thigh. The Batarian howled in pain.

"What Salarian?"

Through mangled grunts, the alien spoke. "A retired STG, we chased him out here where he ambushed us. Him and some fucking Quarian. Killed two of my men but the others wounded him when he saved that fucking Buckethead. They're tracking him down now."

He let out a laugh that ended in a fit of wet coughing.

Julipius knew he wasn't going to live. "Which way?"

"Why…would I…tell you…"

"Fair point." Julipius aimed the gun at the Batarian's head.

"Don't…" He choked out in a gurgle.

Weakly he raised his hands shaking them, the universal sign of surrender.

"South…went…. south." He stared down at the bleeding man.

He put his weapon away and quickly headed south.

During his tracking to find the Salarian, Karos reported he had cleared out the research site, having found several survivors and was attempting contact with the Alliance Navy once more.

He broke through a clearing, having followed a trail of bodies and greenish blood, hearing bullets whizz through the air, his Phaeston at the ready.

Twenty meters in front of him was another structure, this one was so badly damaged you couldn't tell what it once was, half of it hanged off into a fissure in the planet.

Five armed figured were stationed behind a hulk of tree root, they were firing at a lone figure, he was position in the ancient building, aiming down at them, he popped down out of view.

Two figures pounded towards the structure, zigzagging as their squad mates gave them covering fire. The lone figure popped up in a different location and tore through one of them, his body tumbling to the ground.

The other one made it to another tree root, giving him covering from the front but leaving him open to Julipius.

None of them had noticed the Turian yet and Julipius seized the opportunity. A blue wave of energy engulfed him as he envisioned pushing them in his mind, as he did so the blue wave shot out of his hand and target in at the cluster of soldiers. He tossed one into the gawping maws of darkness that dangled below the ruins, another that crashed into the wall, his neck bent at an awkward angle. The third landed unscratched, but before he could get up found several rounds pulverize his shields and turn him into a meat sack.

The last one he wanted alive. But hearing the gunfire erupting from behind him he turned his attention to the Turian. Aiming his rifle a split second faster than Julipius. Too tired to use any more of his biotics, Julipius aimed his own rifle, hoping his shields would hold.

An orange blast of plasma struck the mercenary, engulfing him in flames. It only destroyed his shields, leaving him unharmed but dazed.

That was all Julipius needed.

He kept running and pulled the trigger in quick successions, firing a bust at each individual leg and then the gut. One round pounded into his gut, his left leg wasn't hit, but several found their way through his right leg. He dropped his weapon and fell to the floor.

Closing the distance as fast as his legs would carry him, Julipius used the butt of his rifle and struck the enemy in the head, enough force to crack his' visor and knocking him out cold.

Exhausted from overdoing his biotics, Julipius sat on the ground, catching his breath. Once he regained his composure he shouted for whoever was up there to come down.

A moment later a Quarian came out helping a limping Salarian, acting as his crutch.

The Salarian, Varol was covered in his own green blood. He pushed the Quarian away gently, sitting down and leaning against the structure's wall. He spoke quietly, yet somehow fast in the way only a Salarian could.

"Beginning to think you wouldn't arrive in time," Varol said, with a smile as he applied pressure to his wound, Julipius could see the blood gushing out still.

"If you had told me you were going to have a small army after you, I would have arrived quicker."

"Didn't know it would happen this fast. Spy network too good, could even give STG some trouble one day."

Kneeling to be face to face with his friend Julipius asked what he meant by spy network.

Varol shook his head. "No time, or solid evidence, I could be wrong, but I doubt it." He raised a weak finger towards the unconscious mercenary. "Get him to talk he'll tell you who I mean. But that's not important."

"What's important?"

"VI, Vigil, we restored his database. For a moment, only a second really. I pulled data on a Prothean world untouched…A golden world of their technology, only records of it on here. Illos."

"Is that what they were after the coordinates?"

"We need to get him medical attention." The Quarian spoke up for the first time. He went to grab Varol, who stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"No. I won't make it. I'm not important here." He said to the Quarian before turning his attention back to Julipius.

"When the attack first started I had a choice. Get to my research or save my employee. My research is in their hands now, I don't regret my choice." He gave a couch as blood started to trickle from the corner of his mouth.

He gave a slow blink, his eyelids going upwards. "He's incredibly intelligent and handy with a gun. Too naïve for his own good though." He gave a weak chuckle. "But I knew I was right to hire him as my research assistant, the others wanted to argue-"

"What about that golden world?" Julipius said, snapping his fingers to keep his dying friend from talking in circles.

"He knows what to do… to get the… information." Varol was getting weaker by the second, the pool of blood was now surrounding Julipius.

Varol closed his eyes, his voice turning into a whisper. "Taught him…how to track…down the last…. piece. He has….my prototype…"

He didn't speak after that. The Quarian stood in silence, looking down at his friend, taking a step back to keep away from his pooling blood, despite it being all over his suit.

Without saying a word Julipius went to the unconscious merc and hoisting him over his shoulders in a fireman's carry, he turned to the Quarian.

"I presume you're Val'Tasi vas Rayya, he gave me your file a while back."

"Y-Yes," Val said looking at the corpse of his mentor, unsure of what to do now.

"Come with me." Was all Julipius said as he made his way north back to the shuttle.

"Who are you?" Val asked the strange Turian.

"A friend of Varol. A Spectre. I have questions, you have my answers. You can come along willingly and answer them. Or I can get them out of you like I will him." Julipius said as he walked as away.

"Where's the Alliance?"

"They should be here soon. Would you feel better talking to them?" He stopped but didn't turn around.

No answer.

Turning to Val, Julipius asked again.

"No," Val said as his mask gave a flicker of light with the one word.

"They couldn't have gotten through without the humans allowing it. Spies in the Alliance that's what Varol, speculated, a group called Cerberus. If I go to the humans, they could be…" Julipius could hear the fear in the Quarrian's voice.

Val had seen pics of one of his people after Cerberus had tortured him for days. A member of the Idenna crew who was betrayed by an exile named Golo, the picture mad his blood run cold.

"Cerberus is a human terrorist splinter cell. That's all I know about them. I don't know if they have anything to do with this, but I'll find out one way or another." Julipius turned back around and took a couple of steps before stopping once more.

"Varol was a friend of mine, the smartest person I ever met. If he thinks this Prothean golden world exists, that it's a stash of their technology, then I believe it too. If something like Cerberus got their hands on it that means trouble." He started walking again.

"If you come with me. I'll find this world and I'll stop Cerberus."

A moment later he heard Val give a grunt and then his footsteps behind him.

Tossing a glance over his shoulder he saw the Quarian carrying Varol's body.

"We can't let Cerberus get that technology." The Quarian said softly.

* * *

 **Present Day**

Julipius' shipped touched down on the ruined world of Illos once again.

Supposedly once a verdant planet claimed by Protheans, it held no traces of the lush environment it once had. Decayed structure stuck to the skyline while others rotted on the ground. Buried and choked by the sickly green and a faded black colored plant life. What could only be described as dead trees towered over everything, their ash-grey roots burst through the floors, covering them like ghoulish tentacles and strangling any and everything that rested here.

Getting in full armored Environmental suits, Julipius gave them clear instruction.

"Don't mention our true objective, to anyone." He said that part directly at the Quarian. "I know you lost friends here, but it's best not to think about it for now."

Putting his helmet in place, he finished over their coms.

"Be prepared for Cerberus. Those mercs failed them, but I doubt they'd let that keep them from their goals. Expect a heavy assault at some point."

They were met by Human Alliance soldiers, all in armor and expecting the Spectre's arrival, scattered among them were Salarian soldiers, equally fitted.

The planet, Illos, was located in the Pangaea Expanse cluster and in the Terminus systems, a region of space beyond the reach of the citadel council and not claimed by any species.

A lawless and violent filled sector of space, home to a few minor species, like the Vocha.

The Alliance Navy was just orbiting it, giving a wall of defense to the Salarian researches.

Before a group of killers hired by Cerberus was able to slip through and slaughter them.

After the corpses were sifted through, the Alliance and Salarian's made a joint military base on the ground, to keep the new batch of scientist safe.

It was an older human who greeted them. Dark in complexion, with a full mustache that Val thought looked comical compared to the man's hard eyes and serious demeanor.

He stuck out a large hand, fingers like sausages, and Julipius took it in his Talons, shaking them in a formal greeting.

"Spectre, what brings you all the way out here again?" The human's eyes flickered towards the Quarian. "I don't suppose you'll returning with the young men so we can finally get his statement."

"Not today," Julipius said, stern towards the human.

"Shame." Was all he said.

Turning to address the Quarian, his hands resting behind his back.

"I'm sorry for your loss and the tragedy you went through. It was our duty to protect you and we failed."

The human words were sincere.

"It's okay, Brigadier Khatri. The Alliance responded as fast as they could." Val did harbor some animosity towards the human military for the slaughter. But he was told to keep his anger in check by the Spectre.

Val took the man's apology as he looked at all the humans in front of him. Some waiting at attention other doing drills, others escorting the scientist, a couple chatting away with the STG. Val looked at all of them and wondered which were the ones to sell the lives of all the people he came to call friends.

He heard the Asari say his name, he been spacing out as Julipius and the human walked and talked.

She grabbed his shoulder and pulled the Quarian along, she was ordered not to let him get too far away from the Spectre.

Hurting or not, he needed to focus.

She saw those glowing orbs search through the sea of human faces, hoping he'd be able to pick the guilty party out right away.

She scoffed at his naivety, thinking that the ones responsible would even feel guilty.

She leaned close to where the Quarian's ear was located through the helmet, remembering from before they were forced to flee to space.

"I doubt you even knew who the person was. You aren't going to be able to pick him out from a coward. So keep within two meters of the Turian."

She followed at his heel, her shotgun folded but handy at her hip.

"We've had the VI's chamber under lockdown since the raid. Although it' offline we think that might have been their motives for the attack. Even if dead, it still would be priceless." Khatri, explained climbing onto an 8 wheeled vehicle, keeping the door open for all of them to take a seat.

Six Humans and three Salarians were already seated in the vehicle. They didn't say anything to the group as they settled in.

Julipius and Asishin sat next to each, while Val and sat Khatri directly opposite.

"Now that we are away from prying eyes, Julipius. What are you doing here?"

Julipius didn't say anything but looked at the armed guards who sat in silence.

"These men are the most loyal marines I've ever meet. The Salarians handpicked by Spectre Jondum Bau. I trust them with my life as I would my marines. "

Seemingly satisfied with that Julipius turned his attention to the Brigadier.

I assume Alliance intelligence, briefed you on the ones responsible for the attempted abstraction of the Prothean VI."

"Of course, Blue Sun mercenaries, probably hoping to sell it or had a wealthy client."

Julipius stared at the human across from him.

"Are humans always this bad at lying?"

Khatri raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean the council already knows that the Blue Suns were hired by the Human terrorist splinter cell: Cerberus."

Val saw the human's jaws clench and unclench.

"Cerberus is a human supremacy group, they wouldn't hire aliens." The human countered.

"That's not true." Val blurted out. "Almost two years ago, Cerberus worked with an exiled Quarian named Goro to sneak into the flotilla." That thought brought a shiver up Val's spine.

Khatri stared at the Quarian for a moment in silence before bowing his head in defeat.

"Yes. Alliance intelligence believes it was the work of Cerberus as well. We don't have definitive proof yet, and because of such, I was ordered to leave them out of it, if possible. They used their agents planted in our ranks and ran a virus through our communications channel. Making us deaf to all incoming transmissions."

"Why is that?" Asishin asked.

"Because Humans have been accused of being arrogant and aggressive, that we don't do our part."

Looking at Asishin he continued. "We are just now bouncing back from the ground we made from the AI disaster."

Julipius, of course, knew Khatri was referencing to the Humans' illegal research of AI in a top-secret research base, they had been hit with some trade tariffs and lost their first chance of a human Spectre.

"Cerberus is another step backward, just like Dr. Shi's descent into madness was. Their actions would set us back decades from being accepted by the galactic community."

He let out a deep sigh, to Val it seemed like one of relief. That he was happy to not have to feign ignorance of Cerberus involvement.

"Eventually we would have told the council once we at least managed to find the cell hidden among us here."

Val studied Julipius who didn't seem to care one way or another about what the human said.

When he finished the Turian continued where he left off.

"The council has proof it was Cerberus. I was able to take one for…questioning. After twenty hours he broke down saying he was a member of the Blue Suns. They a made the deal with a human who the STG had info shown he had with ties to the group."

"Who was it?" Khatri asked.

Julipius ignored his question. "I've had people bug and track my ship. Though the obviousness of it all was a message, one that doesn't fit with Cerberus."

The ATV started to take small hops, slightly jerking them in all directions as it rode on destroyed paths and the rubble that covered them.

Seemingly unfazed, Julipius continued. "That's half the reason we're here now."

Khatri raised a bushy brow. "You think we had something to do with the bugs?"

"No. Not really, but I like to be thorough."

"Aren't you here to take a look at Virgil? Not to find out if the Alliance planted bugs?"

"Well yes, but also to grab a Cerberus operative," Val said, not hiding his distaste for the human supremacy group.

"What makes you think they'd be willing to attack now with the base on higher alert now."

"Because I doubt they want to lose their last lead. My ship doesn't have any humans on it. I don't run the risk of one of my crew being a sleeper for Cerberus."

As he explained his reasoning the ATV came to halt in a small military checkpoint, run by six human soldiers.

They asked for Clarence and IDs, once Khatri provided them, they waved him through and it came to another stop right after.

"Here we are," Khatri said as the door opened slowly.

Exiting the vehicle, they saw a long corridor go straight ahead. Immediately to their right an open path that led to an ancient elevator. It had a pair of sentries guarding it. Humans.

They gave a salute to Khatri and ignored everyone else.

The first half of the Guards stepped into the elevator, followed by The Spectre, Quarian, Asari and the Brigadier. The second half of guards stepped afterward.

The stood in silence as they felt the acceleration and deceleration in their stomachs, as it quickly took them to their destination.

The doors opened with a hiss and they left the same order they entered. It was a short narrow path made of stone, rails lined both sides, this path was untouched by the overgrown plants and the gray arms of the giant tree roots.

Make-shift research tents, barricades, and other electronics Julipius didn't recognize littered the path.

The trio walked ahead with Khatri while the Guards waited by the elevator.

Beyond the rails, the walls were lined in an order with circle markings, Asishin couldn't see where the pattern of markings ended, they were covered in a black like rust, left abandoned for 50,000 years.

It was then the Asari notice that some parts of the wall had large cylinders poking out from the markings, she cocked her head to the side.

It was the young Quarian who explained it to her. "Prothean cryo pods." He said it in a way that was filled with awe, but when he spoke again it was unmistakably dour.

"From reports of Commander Shepherd, once these were filled with the most advanced species in the galaxy. All waiting to be awakened. But one by one, the pods were shut down to save power."

"How many were there? Why did they go to Cyro-sleep?" Asishin asked in amazement.

"Doesn't matter. We're not here to study Prothean corpses." The Turian said. He and the Human were standing at the end next to a stone pillar that went slightly above Julipius' waist.

Asishin rolled her eyes but walked over with the Quarian, who did so without a word.

Once in front of the strange pillar. The Turian addressed the Quarian in a slightly more tender tone, though one who hadn't been alive as long as she might not be able to notice it.

"You ready to do this?" Julipius asked

Val nodded. With only the glow of his eyes made it hard to read his expression.

"Don't fail me." The Spectre added.

The human patted the Quarian's back.

"I'm sure he won't. Not Varol's right hand. But what exactly are you doing.?"

"I'm going to quickly give it a burst of power and download as much of the data as I can. While at the same time copy the frequency the VI works on. Hopefully, that will be enough."

"To bring the VI back online?" The human asked.

Nobody responded, instead Val reached in and grabbed an Omni-tool, switching to from the one in his hand.

"An Omni-tool?" Khatri questioned with a chuckle.

"Yep. This one is custom though created by Varol himself made specifically for this." Val explained.

When Val activated the device it, the hologram appeared covering his forearm, slight a few inches above his evio-suit. Instead of the orange color, this one was green.

"Why is it…"

Val interrupted the Human.

"He modified this with Prothean tech, even with his great mind his knowledge was that of droplet compared to the vast ocean that is the Prothean knowledge. "

He stepped closer to the pillar and typed commands into the Omni-tool, waving a hand in front of it and going back to quickly typing as he continued.

"But he was able to incorporate what little working tech that withstood the test of time and creaye a working Omni-tool that can interact with actual Prothean tech…theoretically of course."

He finished inputting his commands and intently stared at the device in front of him.

Nothing happened.

A moment passed and still nothing.

"I don't think it worked," Khatri said.

"It will." The Spectre stated.

"I'm with Khatri. It didn't work." Asishin said stepping from the rails and joining the rest surrounding the pillar.

Val looked between the Omni-tool and the pillar.

Suddenly in an instant, a slight electronic hum filled the air, before a metallic screech and a green hologram the same color as Val's Omni-tool appeared on the Pillar.

A second later a corrupt VI appeared, red in color it spoke the Universal trade language.

Though what it said came in bits and pieces, glitching in and out.

"Reaper* static*stopped *static* Successful* Not*Static* End*" Val ignored what the Vigil was saying, focused on transferring as much of the data as possible while at the same time downloading the Prothean frequency and code.

He his hands would go from typing to mimic that of tuning a radio. Whenever a file would be labeled corrupted or unreadable Val would have to manual override the Omni-tool from trying to restore and download the file.

 _'Too much time wasted_.' He thought as he shoved out all the noise he heard, it was no longer just the Vigil trying to communicate.

He heard Asishin and Khatri scream while Julipius barked orders.

He dared not take his eyes off the Omni-tool, they had once chance.

After this, not even a burst of power could bring the VI back online. This would have fried the circuits and cause the system to destroy itself, wiping all traces of the VI.

He tried to push out the sounds of everything to focus on the task at hand. He couldn't let anything distract him. He didn't know how much time he had.

So, he continued to focus on his task despite the sounds of gunfire and rounds whizzing past him.

* * *

 **Twenty minutes ago**

Jonathan Blake watched as the aliens got on the elevator, before turning his attention back to the front. The ATV they came in was about 5 meters ahead. He waited the full ten minutes, as instructed.

"So what do you think the Spectre's doing here?"

The soldier across from him, Charles Motto, asked. A soldier half his age and with prominent Asian features.

"Taking the Prothean VI, I assume," Blake answered the question with disgust.

"Guess the Council wants it at the Citadel now. What can you do?" The young soldier said nonchalant, he held his weapon in one hand, towards the ground.

Jonathan would have spit at that remark if he wasn't wearing a helmet.

"We shouldn't have to give it to these aliens. A human found it like we found the beacon on Edan Prime. And just like that time we are forced to share it with them. We shouldn't have to listen to the demands of aliens."

Charles raised an eyebrow looking at the guard. "Nah. It's for the benefit of the galactic community, we'd expect any of the other species to share."

"How do you know they do?" Jonathan countered. Seeing Charles had no words to say he continued. "The council has been holding humanity back."

"Why'd they do that?" Charles said in an exhausted sigh. He knew Jonathan was xenophobic, a lot of soldiers were. They always talked about how humans were just better and didn't need aliens. Forgetting that Humans only got this far because of aliens.

But guard duty was boring, and Jonathan wasn't normally talkative. So, he'd humor him a bit to kill time.

"Because they are afraid of us. How we have so much in such a short amount of time." He took a step closer.

"How we destroyed a Turian destroyer so easily in Shanxi." Another step. "How we saved the citadel from Seran and his geth." Step. "We are the dominant species."

Motto stared up at the man before him.

"Sounding like Cerberus now." He said giving off an awkward and uncomfortable laugh.

"Oh. Guess I do huh." Blake replied laughing, going back to his original position.

Shortly after when the ten minutes were up, his Omni-tool let off a quick beep.

Motto gave an inquisitive look at his fellow soldier.

"What's that?"

"Cerberus doing what the Alliance refuses to do."

Motto raised his rifle and pointed at Blake's chest. Recognizing at this close his shields wouldn't be able to save him, the Cerberus operative raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender.

"You're Cerberus?" Motto screamed.

Blake nodded and took a step to his side, Motto mimicked the action, keeping his rifle center into the traitor's chest.

Another step to his side and Motto copied once more.

"Not another step." Motto demanded. Blake had his back towards the elevator now, while Motto's was towards the ATV.

"Toss me your gun and on the ground, hands behind your head." Blake did as ordered, tossing his own M-8 to the ground where it clattered at Motto's feet. After that, he dropped to the floor and put his hands behind his head.

Motto took a step towards him, ready to pat him down and restrain him when he heard the automatic fire.

He turned towards the ATV only taking his eyes off Blake for a moment. But that was all that was needed.

Blake detonated the explosives attached to ATV set hours earlier.

It exploded into a ball of flames as it shot into the air, before raining down as twisted metal and fire. The force of the blast caused Motto to be thrown several feet. His head spinning, he acted on instinct and he rolled to the side to dodge a part of the ruined vehicle from crushing him.

Getting to his feet he was able to find his M-8 but saw no signs of Blake. Steadying himself he leaned on the wall and headed towards sounds of the fight,

He heard screams and gunfire erupt from the checkpoint, before seeing Alliance soldiers getting gunned down as they attempted to fall back.

"What the shit" Motto exclaimed, struggling to get to cover as armored Troops march forward, riffles at the ready. He found cover at the burning remains of the ATV. He let his M-8 avenger loose on the oncoming Cerberus soldiers.

They fled to the walls for cover before any of their shields fell.

He let off another burst of gunfire.

Cerberus sent one soldier in left and another the other right, as the gave them covering fire.

With no chance he'd be able to hold the position long enough for help to arrive, he gave off another squeeze of his trigger before running back towards the elevator.

He heard the rounds miss him and bury themselves in the Prothean stone walls, destroying large chunks and punching golf balls sized holes, as he made a mad dash towards safety.

He went for a slide as the wall where his head was exploded into dust, turning mid slide he opened fire on a Cerberus soldier unfortunate enough to be in his line of sight. The first two burst destroyed his shield. The last one hit him from his chest down to the waist, ripping holes through his armor and him.

He got back on his feet in no time and pounded the ground as he ran towards the elevator.

If he could make it there, he'd be able to reach the squad and the Spectre.

Motto saw the shiver of blue, as his shields stopped the rounds from killing him.

Less than two meters away. But then his shields fell and a round ripped through his leg. He let out a scream as stumbled and rolled to the floor. He let out a list of swears in Chinese as he crawled the rest of the way there. Just a bit more. His fingers tips were just about to touch the elevator's button, granting him safety.

Motto never felt the bullet that entered his skull.

Blake watched as Motto's body slumped forward. He had put the M-5 Phoenix barrel right in the base of the helmet. Shields wouldn't even have activated at that close a proximity, not that he had any left. He had seen the scarlet mist explode from Motto's front and drench the ground below. The round tore through his once handsome face, turning it into a bloody meat pulp of a shattered skull.

Once the blast had hit, Blake had simply used his cloaking. Becoming an invisible shimmer, one that the young Charles Motto didn't see in the dancing fire. He had watched as the soldier ran to help his comrades. Even just sitting back as Motto killed one of his operatives.

He had only stepped in once Motto made it to the lift. Him making it up could jeopardize everything.

' _Was a damn good soldier. Would have been an excellent operative.'_ Blake thought as his men came around the corner.

The Cerberus squad reformed right outside the lift to the VI's chamber. It had consisted of only thirteen, now twelve, men and women. Twelve highly trained, soldiers in some of the most advanced armor and weaponry in the galaxy.

They left their squad mates corpse where it fell. As the entered the lift.

The Tallest of them handed Blake the assault of their fallen comrade.

"Captain."

Blake took it in his hands.

"We are to take the VI. Kill everyone in our way.

"The Quarian?" Asked the one to his immediate left. A woman.

"Grab him if possible. If not, kill him. All we need is that Omni-tool. "

With that, he activated the lift and they ascended to take Humanity's rightful place at the top of the galactic community.

Before the doors fully open his squad opened fire.

* * *

Julipius had acted on pure instinct as he heard the thunderous roar of automatic fire as it tore half their guards down. He immediately grabbed his pistol and open fire. Diving for cover behind some machinery.

Val was still working on the VI ignoring the gunfight around him.

Some of the guards returned fire, having got to cover behind some research councils.

They took shots as they tried their best to make it down the path to them. They made some progress ducking and running to whatever cover they could find, trying to regroup with Khatri.

Julipius and Asishin did their best to help give cover. But with just his pistol and her Shotgun, it wasn't much.

"Val, I need you to be done now!" Julipius shouted.

The Quarian ignored him.

A human was the first of the remaining men to go down. His shield failed halfway to his new cover and he was hit so hard by the rounds his body tumbled over the railing.

A pair of Salarians kept the attackers at bay for a minute or so before they two met with a grizzly fate.

"Val! How much longer!" Asishin screamed.

Khatri answered. "What does it matter. There's no way out."

The Cerberus squad was closing the distance, moving as one they covered each other's progress, one of their members was gunned down, but that did little to slow them down, they just stepped over their corpse.

Within a blink, they only seven meters away and the last of the guards died.

"What's the plan boss?" The Asari asked as she squeezed off a blast from her shotgun.

Thinking of their next possible move, he gave her the only answer he came up with.

"Jump," Julipius said calmly.

"What?" Khatri screamed to be heard over the gunfire.

"The only chance we have here," Julipius stated. "You two go now. I'll go once Val is done."

He wasn't even popping up to aim anymore just blindly firing over his shoulder. With no room to move to, popping up in the same place was a great way to get yourself killed.

The Asari just gave a grim nod before grabbing the human and tumbling over the rail.

Julipius saw their shields flicker as it stopped the round from hitting them.

Slapping a new thermal clip into his gun. He spoke to Val, as the gunfire concentrated on Julipius exclusively.

"Looks like they want you alive."

Still, the Quarian ignored him.

"For the spirits. Tell me you're done!" Julipius said as Cerberus inched closer and closer.

"Almost. On the count of three tackle me over the railing." Val replied his visor red from the VI's glow.

Julipius took in a deep breath and mentally counted down.

Once he hit three, Julipius sprung towards the young Quarian, tackling him as rounds ripped through the air trying to land a hit, but their shields held.

The two fell to the darkness below.

* * *

 _ **So tell me your thoughts on these chapter to my Sci-fi epic, good or bad it helps better me as a writer.**_


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